2016 AR240 budget stereo upgrade

[giroux68]

i think i can hear it from here!

 

[Rob9550]

I'll take better pics and post if I don't forget, I currently have 10 DB561s (5 pairs). And a sub in the helm comp.

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I have a feeling that I am going to copy your set up. What Amp are you using to power all 10 speakers?

 

[swatski]

I have a feeling that I am going to copy your set up. What Amp are you using to power all 10 speakers?

I have those powered by two XC1410 Clarion amps. Two pairs on one (at 4 ohms) and three pairs on the other (two at 2 ohms and four at 2 ohms). Works really well - a very good match of amps and speakers, a very energy efficient setup.
I also have the BassLink powered sub and adding tower ICON8s w/HT amp, hooking it all up through WS420.
I have an option to power/run only 4 cockpit speakers, or everything.

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[John Miller]

I would like to know how you connected the amp to the head unit (I have a 2016 Ar240) Are there preamp outputs. I'm planning on installing tower speakers with an amp. But eventually I would like to install a second amp for the other speakers. Any suggestions?

 

[Nick Hughes]

I would like to know how you connected the amp to the head unit (I have a 2016 Ar240) Are there preamp outputs. I'm planning on installing tower speakers with an amp. But eventually I would like to install a second amp for the other speakers. Any suggestions?

There are pre-outs on the head unit. I ran that into 1 amp and then out of that amp into the other.

 

[Hike]

Dollar for dollar, I don't think you will find a better speaker. I consider myself a bit of an audiophile and there is only so much you can do with a craft that has no roof, and often is travelling at 30+ mph with noisy engines, so I am very pleased with both the bass response and the highs from the Polk db series considering their price point. Now could you install even better sounding speakers? Absolutely. Personally I just feel the higher price point doesn't match the boost in quality though. I completely agree with @swatski about having an array of speakers throughout the boat, especially if you like to listen at speed, but that goes for any boat setup regardless of speaker choice. I have the stock 4-db 651's in my AR192 and I should have at least 6 to be able to adequately hear my music at speed. I had to push them pretty hard to really get to listen well. I added a 10" sub last year and removed some of the lower frequencies from the 651's though and now it sounds really solid at speed or sitting still and I'm not too worried about blowing them with a little of the low end moved from the 651's to the sub. If you decided you wanted to go up a level, the Polk MM series are fantastic. That's the way I would like to go once the boat is paid for.

What sub did you go with? I'm thinking powered bazooka 10" or a JL IB sub. Any suggestions? Thanks!

 

[d_coyne1984]

What sub did you go with? I'm thinking powered bazooka 10" or a JL IB sub. Any suggestions? Thanks!

I went with a Polk DB1040. I tried it underneath one of the back seats first and I did not like how much power I had to feed it to actually hear it. I think I would have drained my battery in under 30 min. After fabricating a box for that application and throwing it in the trash, I caved and just bought a truck box that sits under the bench seat. I was (and still am) planning on stripping the carpet to ad a layer of fiberglass and resin so the box doesn't disintegrate. One of these days I'll get to it.